Mercenaries

Mercenaries are combat allies introduced in the Vessel of Hatred expansion. They belong to a group known as The Pale Hand, and offer defensive tools, grouping, utility, and specialised support depending on which Mercenary you hire.

Mercenaries are available only to players who own Vessel of Hatred, as their recruitment hub, The Den, is located in Nahantu, the new region added and exclusive to VoH.

Below is everything you need to know about how Mercenaries work in Diablo 4.

Overview

• Mercenaries become available during the Vessel of Hatred campaign.
• You unlock Raheir first, then gain the other three Mercenaries by completing their personal Acquisition Quests in The Den.
• You may hire one Primary Mercenary (solo play only).
• You may hire one Reinforcement Mercenary (solo and group play).
• Mercenaries cannot equip gear.
• Mercenaries are not minions or companions, any effects referring to those categories do not apply.
• A personal Rapport system allows you to level up each Mercenary.
• Rapport grants Skill Points, Caches, Bartering upgrades, and Pale Marks.
• Mercenaries and Rapport progress are account-wide per realm type (Seasonal, Eternal, HC, etc.).

Mercenaries introduced in Vessel of Hatred

"The Mercenaries were designed to replicate that small-party experience… If you're running around as a Sorcerer and you need someone filling a tanking role, we've taken that into account with the mercenary types you will see."
— Brent Gibson, Game Director, Blizzard (12 July 2024)

The Mercenaries

Raheir: The Shieldbearer (Tank / Defensive Support)

Raheir is a defensive Iron Wolves shield-fighter who excels at absorbing damage, taunting enemies, and protecting the player from sudden spikes. He is the first Mercenary you meet in the campaign.

• Provides armor and resistance buffs
• Taunts and Crowd Control
• Knockdowns via Valiance
• Ideal for fragile builds and aggressive playstyles that need frontline stability
• Strong choice for Torment progression

Raheir Guide

Subo: The Archer (Ranged Utility)

Subo is a ranged archer focused on utility and support. His Seeker skill reveals nearby enemies and materials, making him particularly useful for overworld farming.

• Reliable target marking
• Resource and cooldown benefits
• Excellent situational awareness through Seeker
• Useful for any build that values utility over damage

Subo Guide

Varyana: The Berserker Crone (Melee DPS)

Varyana is a melee fighter who thrives in high-density combat. Her Massacre meter builds from continuous kills, granting stacking Movement Speed bonuses.

• Powerful melee burst
• Enemy-grouping tools
• Short cooldowns
• Excellent for speedfarming and melee-range pressure builds

Varyana Guide

Aldkin: The Cursed Child (Shadow / Fire Caster)

Aldkin is a Shadow/Fire caster capable of transforming into a demon. His transformation enhances his abilities but briefly places a curse on the player.

• Strong AoE and DoT damage
• Applies Vulnerable
• Shadow tree offers Crowd Control
• Fire tree offers heavy Burning and resource tools
• “Kiss-and-curse” demon form adds risk/reward playstyle

Aldkin Guide

Getting Your Mercenary

You first meet Raheir during the Vessel of Hatred campaign, who introduces you to The Den, the Mercenaries’ base of operations.

Each remaining Mercenary offers an Acquisition Quest. Completing these quests unlocks them permanently for that realm type.

Once one character finishes the final VoH chapter (Presaged Fate), all alts may hire Mercenaries from level 1.

Hiring a Mercenary is free.

Mercenary Skills & Trees

Each Mercenary has their own two-branch skill tree consisting of:

• 2 Core Active Skills
• 2 Iconic Active Skills
• 2 Core Passives
• 2 Iconic Passives
• 1 Unique Perk (Primary Mercenary only)

Skill Points are earned through Rapport (details below). Reinforcement Mercenaries use only one Active Skill and do not benefit from Passives.

Skill trees for each Mercenary are available on their dedicated pages: Raheir • Subo • Varyana • Aldkin

Reinforcement Mercenaries

A Reinforcement Mercenary is a temporary combat ally that appears briefly to perform a single Active Skill under a chosen trigger condition.

How Reinforcements Work

• Available in solo and group play.
• Uses one Active Skill of your choice (base version only).
• Does not use passives or Perks.
• Has its own cooldown.
• Only the owner sees their Reinforcement appear.

Reinforcement Triggers

Reinforcements can be activated by:

Skill Triggers

• When you use a specific chosen skill.

Universal Triggers

• When the player uses any skill in combat.
• When the player becomes Injured (<35% Life).
• When the player is hit by a Control-Impairing Effect.

These universal triggers allow Reinforcements to function even for builds with irregular rotation patterns.

Rapport Gain

Reinforcement Mercenaries always gain Rapport while they are Hired in the Reinforcement slot, even if they never appear in combat. In solo play they earn 50% of the Rapport gained by your Primary Mercenary. In group play, they gain full Rapport. Summoning a Reinforcement is not required for Rapport progression.

Group Play Rules

Mercenary behaviour changes when you join a party:

• Primary Mercenaries do not appear in groups.
• Reinforcement Mercenaries continue to function for every player.
• Reinforcement triggers are personal and visible only to the owner.
• In group play, Reinforcement Mercenaries earn full Rapport.
• There is no party-leader restriction on Reinforcements.
• The absence of visible Mercenaries often leads players to believe no one is using them.

Rapport

Rapport is the progression system for Mercenaries. You gain Rapport naturally by fighting with a Mercenary hired.

Rapport Ranks

• Ranks I–IV: 1 Skill Point each (4 total).
• Rank V: Unlocks Bartering; grants Pale Marks.
• Ranks VI–X: Legendary, Masterworking, and Material Caches depending on the Mercenary.
• Rank X+: Repeatable Rapport levels that grant Pale Marks.

Primary Mercenaries gain full Rapport in solo play.

Reinforcement Mercenaries gain:

• 50% Rapport in solo (while Primary is hired).
• 100% Rapport in group play.

Pale Marks & Bartering

Pale Marks are earned through Rapport and by completing select activities tied to Mercenaries.

Bartering becomes available at Rapport V. Each Mercenary unlocks different Bartering categories:

• Raheir: Defensive Aspects • Crafting Materials
• Subo: Utility Aspects • Boss Summoning Mats
• Varyana: Mobility Aspects • Masterworking Mats + Obols
• Aldkin: Resource Aspects • Runes, Prisms, Gem Fragments

Bartering is accessed through Fayira in The Den.

Common Misconceptions

• “Only the party leader can have a Mercenary.”

False. Every player may have a Reinforcement; Primaries simply do not appear in groups.

• “Reinforcements only gain Rapport when they appear.”

False. They gain Rapport whenever they are hired.

• “Mercenaries do no damage.”

Mostly true. They are designed for utility, not DPS.

• “You never see other players with Mercenaries.”

True visually, but misleading. Mercenaries are invisible to other players.

• “Reinforcement must be linked to a specific skill.”

False. Universal triggers exist.

See Also

• Raheir
• Subo
• Varyana
• Aldkin
• Vessel of Hatred
• Nahantu

Changes to Mercenaries

Patch 2.0, October 8, 2024

• Added in Vessel of Hatred

Mercenary Overview

Aldkin

Raheir

Subo

Varyana